Don't be so quick to voice judgment

March 28, 2014

I write this editorial following the horrific accident on Interstate 81 Wednesday morning that has claimed the lives of three individuals at the present time and has several others critically wounded. News reports are posting updates as information becomes available, which is a good thing. I am in the news business; it's what we do.

However, the constant ability for anyone and everyone to post a comment on the social media sites wears my patience thin.

If you were not a driver on that stretch of roadway, you have no idea what happened. It is easy to simply spout off and blame WVDOT for somehow not clearing roadways that were not snow covered ten minutes prior to that freak squall. It is easy to lay the blame at the feet of a driver of a tractor trailer simply because one or more happened to be involved in the accident. Drivers need to slow down; drivers need to get off their cell phones; construction needs to be completed on that highway; roads should have been treated the night before....the list is endless of those simply typing on their mobile devices and laying the blame as families of those who lost their lives have not even yet been notified.

Give it a rest, people. You don't know what happened; how can you blame? The use of social media is often a good thing, but in times like these when judgments are passed in an instant by those who have no idea of facts is a time when I wish we didn't have the ability to simply react without thought.

Instead of sitting in your car, your living room, your office clicking away to blame someone for such a tragedy, instead take the time to say a prayer for the families of those who have lost their loved ones. Go donate blood to help those who were injured but yet will pull through. Do something constructive and positive for this tragedy or a future one rather than voicing inaccuracies that are not factual.

From all reports of those on the roadway at the time, the storm came up within seconds and within minutes the roadway was covered. There was not time to prepare for it. Be thankful if you are safe from such harm and show compassion for those who were not.